Belt conveyer



April v17, l945.\ J. R. M-.MDEIRA BELT coNvEYjaR Filed .June 21, 1944 INI Il.. ullll -IIIV.:

www@ QN Patented Apr. 17, 1945 John R. Madeira, Chicagmlll., assgnor -to Goodman Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill.a

corporation of Illinois Application June 21, 1944Serial No. 541,304 Claims. (CIL 1238-409) This invention relates to improvements rin belt conveyers, and more particularly Vto improvements in sectional belt conveyers of the troughed belt type adapted for use in "mines underground. v

The principal objects of my invention are to 5 provide a new and improved sectional conveyer of the troughed belt type having a novel form of connection between the sections of theconveyer, permitting the conveyer'to follow an uneven bottom and taking the loads from one end lo of the conveyer tothe other on the spacing members carrying the' idler rollers of 'the conveyer,

r-and taking all of the weight and shearing stresses from the means for holding the sectionseof'the conveyer in connected relation with respect to each other. n

In carrying out my invention I provide a plurality of intermediate supporting standards between the head and tail ends of the conveyer and otally connect them together by spacing members, and construct these spacing members to .take the endthrusting loads `from'one end of space these supporting standards apart and pivtimeto time as the `following specication proceeds. and with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of an intermediate portion of a sectionaltroughed belty c0111-,l

veyer constructed in raccordance with my invention; l

Figure 2 is an enlarged View porting standards, with parts vthereof broken away in order to illustrate the connection beof one of the suptween the spacing members and standards of the conveyer; and

Figure 3'is an enlarged fragmentary transverse v sectional view taken through the conveyer and showing certain other details ofthe connection between the spacing members and shown in Figures 1 and 2.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawing, a plurality of transverse supporting standards I0, IU ,are connected together standards not means for the upper and lower runs of a conveyer belt I2.

Each supporting standard I0 includes a pair of` laterally spaced parallel upright legs I3,v I3

which are connected together at their lower ends by a transverse connecting member I4, herein shown asv being a channel iron welded to the insides of said legs at its ends.

Each leg II, as herein shown, is formed from a channel iron with the flanges thereof extending outwardly from the center of the conveyer and mounted on a bearing plate I5 adapted to rest on the ground. Each of said legs is also provided with ahorizontal ledge I6 spaced upwardly from the bottom thereof and extending inwardly therefrom, on which is adapted to rest rocking bearing members Il, Il secured to the bottoms of adjacent ends of the spacing members Il', II.

The spacing members II, II are herein shown as being channels having their flanges facing outwardly and forming support means for carrier `brackets |8,.I8 which have idlers I 9, 26 journaled thereon ina well known manner, and arranged to form the conveyer belt I2 into a. troughshaped formation. Idler rollers 2l, 2l for supporting thelower run of the belt are mounted on the lower sides of said spacing members on brackets 22, 22. Detachable covers 23, 23 bridge said spacing members and cover the lower run 0 of they belt to preventmaterial from spilling on the inside of the lower runof the belt.

The means for holding the spacing members i II', Il to the standards I0, Ill includes a plate 21 mounted at each end of each spacing member, between the flanges thereof and having a pivotal ypin 26 projecting therefrom. Said pivotal v'pins are herein shown as being cap screws threaded in said plates and adapted to loosely extend through suitable apertures formed in the Webs of vthechannels forming the legs I3, I3, to hold said ,spacing members to said legs. n

Pivotal movement of said spacing members with respect to said standards is limited by capscrews 30, 30 threaded in the plates'21, 21 above the pins 26, 2B and extending through longitudinally extending arcuate Vslots 3|, 3| formed in the legs I3, I3. l

It should here be noted that since the connection between the pins 26, 26 and 36, 3B on the spacing vmembers II, II andthe legs I3, I3 is relatively loose, and since the entire weight of said spacing members' is taken on the ledges I6, I6 that theweight of the conveyer ,isy removed from said pins 26 and 30 and that said pins 26 by spacing members lI I, 'l I, which form a support 55 and 30 take no shearing loads and serve only to connect said spacing members to said supporting standards.

Referring now in particular to the means for transmitting the end thrusting loads through said spacing members from one end of the conveyer to the other, each plate 2l is herein shown as having an arcuate formed lug 33, projecting outwardly from its end, and herein shown as being formed integral therewith. Saidarcuate formed lugs are adapted to abut each other and form a rolling contact surface between adjacent ends of said spacing members, and thus take all end thrusting loads off of the supporting Standards lll, il) and take all shearing loads from the pins 26 and 3l) and cause the end thrusting loads from one end of the conveyer to the other to be taken through said spacing members.

The arcuate faces of the rocking bearlin'g members Il, Il and of the bearing lugs 33, 33iare struck from a common radius, the centers of which are the centers of the pins 26, `T5. The spacing `members ll, Il supported on the ledges I 6, I6 `on said rocking members will thus VrockaboutaXes yconcentric with the centers of said pins. 'This will insure that the weight `of said lspacing members is taken on said ledges `rather .than said pins and will avoid placing any lundue stresses on said pins which might be caused 'if the `faces of .said rocking members and bearing vlugs were struck from different radii or fromarcs eccentric of the centers vof said pins.

It may be seen Ifrom the foregoing that anovel form of sectional belt conveyer has been provided which may readily conform to an luneven mine bottom and which iis yso arranged that the only load taken by the intermediate'supporting stand ards is the dead weight of the conveyer, and the only loads taken by the connecting means connecting the spacing members to the supporting standards are the thrusting loads against the heads of the cap screws, which may be caused by twisting of the conveyer frame where the frame is misaligned.`

While 4I have herein sh'own and described one form in which myvinvention may be embodied, it will be understood that the construction thereof and the arrangement of the various .parts may be altered without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Furthermore, I do not wish tobe construed as limiting my invention to the specic embodiment illustrated, except as it may be limited in the appended claims.

l. claim as my invention:

l. yIn-a sectionalbelt conveyerstructurea series spacing members, and means fortakingthe-"end .2. In a sectional conveyer structure, ia'iseriesof spacedV apart supportingstandards,faplura1ity of longitudinal-lyextending spacing membersconnecting said standards together, fsaid L standards each including a 'pair .of .connected fparallel spaced supporting legs, transverse pivotal connections between said spacing members and adjacent ends of said supporting legs, and arcuately formed lugs on the endsof said spacing members, said lugs of adjacent spacing members being adapted to have abutting engagement with each other and the arcuate faces of said lugs being struck from centers coaxial with the axes of said ,pivotal connections, to form a` rolling connec- 'tion therebetween, to permit said conveyer to conform to an irregular mine bottom and to transxmit the end thrust loads through said spacing members longitudinally of the conveyer, to take said loads off of said pivotal connections and said supporting standards.

3. In `a sectional conveyer structure, a Series of 'spaced apart supporting standards, a plurality of `longitudinally extending spacing members connecting said standards together, said standards eachincluding a pair of connected parallel spaced supporting legs, transverse pivotal connections between said spacing members and adjacent ends of said supporting legs, arcuately formed lugs on the lower .end portions of said spacing members struck from centers coaxial with the axes of said .pivotal connections, and a supporting ledge on each of rsaid supporting legs adapted to have said supporting legs, arcuately formed rocking lugs on the lower sides of said spacing members adapted to rest on said ledges to form rocking supports for said spacing .members on said supporting standards, and arcuately formed lugs on the Aends of said spacing members, said lugs on the ends and the lower sides of vsaid'spacing members being-struck .from a common radius,

"the center of which is' coaxial with the axis of said associated pivotal connection, Aand said lugs of adjacent spacing members being adapted to have abutting engagement with each otherto form a rolling Vconnection therebetween .and to transmit the end thrust loads of the conveyer through said spacing members.

' `:5. In a sectional .conveyer structure, a series of 'spaced'apart' supporting standards, a vplurality of longitudinally extending spacing members connecting said standards together, said standardseach includingapair of connected parallel vspaced supporting legs, transverse pivotaljpins connecting adjacent ends of said supporting legs with said spacing members, apin andslotcom fnec't'ionspaced from said pivotalpinsfor limiting vpivotalm'ovement of vsaid spacing members with respectto said standards, and arcuately formed lugs on the ends of said spacing members, said ylugs of adjacent ends o'f -said `spacing -members :being adapted'to have 'abuttingengagement with Teach -otheryto form aro'lling connection ltherebetween, tota'ke' the shearing aloads'from said'pivotal pins and to transmitthe -endthrustiloads of :the lconveyer through said `spacing members.

i6. ln La sectional .conveyer structure, a Hseries -rof spaceda'part:supporting standards, a plurality oflongitudinallyfextendingf spacing members connecting said standards together, said standards each including a pair of connected parallel spaced supporting legs, transverse pivotal pins" formed lug on the underside of each spacing member adapted to rest on said ledge and form a rocking support for its associated spacing member on said ledge to relieve the weight of said asf sociated spacing member from saidl pivotal pin.

7. In a sectional conveyer structure, a series of spaced apart supporting standards, a plurality of longitudinally extending spacing members connecting said standards together, said standards each includinga pair of connected parallel spaced supporting legs, transverse kpivotal pins connecting adjacent ends of said supporting legs j said lugs on the bottoms thereof lserving to take the end thrust loads transmitted by said spacing members, andto take the weight of the conveyer from said pivotal pins, and said pivotal pins serving 4only to retain said spacing members'on said standards.

8. In a structural unit for a sectional conveyer, a supporting standard for one end of said unit including an upright leg, a longitudinally extending spacing member pivotally connected to said supporting leg on a transverse axis, said spacing member having an arcuately formed abutting surface at its end coaxial with itspiv otal connection, to provide rolling abutting engagementwith a longitudinally extending spacing member of an adjoining conveyer unit.

with saidspacing members, a pin and slot con- 1 nection spaced from said pivotal pins for limiting pivotal movement of said spacing members with respect to said standards, a supporting ledge on n each of said supporting legs, and an arcuately formed lug on the underside ofeach spacing y member adapted to rest `on said ledge and form a rocking support for its associated spacing memj ber on said ledge, and to relieve thevveight'v of said associated spacing member from said `pivotal pin, and arcuately formed lugs on the ends of said spacing members, said lugs of adjacent spacing members being adapted to have abutting engagement with each other to form a roll- 9. In a structural unit for a sectional conveyer,

`a supporting standard forrone end of 'said unit including a pair of connected-spaced apart legs,

fa pair of longitudinally extending spacing mem- 1 bers each having an arcuately formed abutting surface at its end coaxial With its pivotal connection, to provide rolling abuttingengagement with a longitudinally extending spacing member of an adjoining conveyer unit.

10. In a structural unit for a sectional conveyer, a supporting standard for one end of said unit including a supporting ledge and an. upright supporting leg,va longitudinallyfex'tending spacing member, transverse pivotal connections between said spacing member and saidleg, arcuvately formed rocking lugs on thelower end portion of said spacing member coaxial with said pivotal connections, having rolling engagement ing connection therebetween and to transmit the end thrust loads ofthe conveyer through said spacing members longitudinally of the conveyer; said lugs on the ends of said spacing members and with said supportingtledge and also providing a rolling abutting engagement at its end with a longitudinally extending spacing member of an yadjoining conveyer unit.

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